Railway-switch throw.



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vRAILWAY SWITCH THROW. APPLICATION FILEI) IuLIl s. 1916.

l 2937 Patented July 17', 1917.

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'IN1/EN TOR.

A. LOEFFLER.

` RAILWAY SWITCH THROW. APPLICATION FILED IuLY B, 191s.

I ,Qw Patented July-17, 1917.

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Patented J uly 1T, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 A. LOEFFLER.

RAILWAY SWITCH THROW.

APPLICATION man JULY 8,1916.

.............................. -Il l A l f www 5% `W% NMI l KW 3 DV l r N. 3 w i ..|m\ A w.) .AAR u W o@ 1 W \N 2 k MH VII m WJ 1i ll -Vfl H Z ADOLF LOEFFLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH FOEI-IRENBACH, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK..

RAILWAY-SWITCH THROW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADOLF LOEFFLER, va subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Switch Throws, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switch operating devices and particularly to the type ordinarily used upon streets in connection with an overhead trolley.

One of the objects of the'invention ism to provide a device by means of which the motorman is enabled to operate the switch of the branch to which the car is approaching so as to move the same in either direction and to further be able to throw the switch after the car has passed the same, if it be desired.

A further object is to provide such means in forms readily applicable to cars and tracks of the usual construction, the parts being very simple, durable and readily operable.

These and other objects, which will become more fully apparent as the description progresses, are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the mechanism for actuating the switch.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar transverse sectional view, taken in opposite planes on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view, showing a short section Aof track at a branch thereof.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View, largely diagrammatic in its character and illustrating the relation of parts.

Fig. 6 is a partial plan View of the same, and

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating; the wiring.

The operative mechanism is preferably contained in a metallic casing 15, having a tight-litting cover 16, the same being disposed below the road-bed as is common in such structures. FiXedly secured within the casing 15 to the inner side of the bottom thereof, are a pair of spaced apart standards 18 and 19, respectively, and in the standards is revolubly mounted a shaft 20, having fiXed upon it near the standard 18, a split-cam 21. Of this split-cam, the member which is more remote from the standard 18 is rigidly fixed upon said shaft, while the adjacent member is attached to the shaft by a slot and pin arrangement so that it may have a limited aXial movement on said shaft, although it ,rotates with the same in con` nection with the fiXed member.

Cut upon the face of the split-cam 21, is a diagonal groove 22, part of which is cut in the fixed member of the cam and part `in the axially movable member thereof. A

coil push spring 22 mounted upon the shaft 20, between the hub of the split-cam 21 and the standard 18, serves to yieldably maintain the movable member of said splitcam in proper operative contact with the fixed member thereof. The groove 22, thus formed, is designed to receive the downwardly extending end of a stem 25 attached rigidly to the bottom of the switch 26 near the point thereof, the said switch being pivoted at 27, near its heel, and so arranged that its outer, operative face is normally out of alinement with a track rail, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

Also secured upon the shaft 20 is a spur pinion 30, the same being adapted to be actuated by a rack 31, formed centrally and integrally with a bar 32, the ends of which are movable within the spaced-apart solenoids 33 and 34, respectively, the same being held in position within the casing by means of the respective strap brackets 35 and 36. FiXedly carried upon the bar 32 is a pair of disk plates 37 and 38, located one at each end of the rack 31. These plates 37 and 38 are adapted, respectively, to serve as armatures for the solenoids 33 and; 3a, and at the same time they serve as stops to define in either direction the extreme movement of the said bar 32.

Rigidly fixed upon the shaft 20 near the standard 19 is a-disk 40 having oppositely disposed arcuate cavities formed in its periphery. These cavities are designed to receive the rolls 41, arranged one on each side of the shaft 2O7 and supported by brackets 42 pivoted at 43 to a support 44 rigidly seA cured to the base of the casing 15. Connect- 'ing thebrackets 42 below the shaft 20, as

shown in Fig.4 3, is a coiled pull spring 45, the purpose of which is to hold the rolls 41 yieldably in engagement with the concave faces of the disk 40, thus tending to hold the shaft 20 Vagainst rotation in either of its two extreme positions. y

Spaced from the outer ends of the solenoids33 and 34, and secured to, but insulated from, the base of the casing 15, are two pairs of conducting brackets 48-48 and 49-49, each pair representing companionl conducting brackets, the inner ends Aof which are spaced from each other, and which lie in the path lof the movement of the bar 32.

Now, the ends of the bar 32 are formed with reduced diameters46 and 47, the said reduced ends being insulated from the bar, and being adapted accordingly as the bar is extend/ed, to provide a bridging contact between the pairs of companion brackets. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, when the armature 38 is drawn to its solenoid, the insulated end 47 forms' a conducting bridge between the brackets 49 and 49 while the end 46 .is drawn within the solenoid 33, thereby opening a space between the companion brackets 48 and 48. Similarly, when the armature 37 is drawn to its solenoid, the space betweeny the companion brackets 49 and 49 willV be -left unbridged while the insulated end'46 will form a bridging conductor between the companion brackets 48 and 48. From the foregoing it will be seen "that the energizing of either solenoid will cause the bar 32 to move longitudinally in the'directi'on of the solenoid energized, and that this longitudinal movement, through the rack 31 and the pinion 30, will cause vthe rotation of the shaft 2O through a part of a turn,fin consequence of which the split-cam 21vwill movethe switch point accordingly. The electric current may be taken from a trolley feed wire as 60 through the pole 61 and wire 62 to the switch 63 provided on the electric carV within easy reach of the opwith a pivoted bridging'or operating lever 65.' lLocated nearL each side of the bridging or operating lever 6,5, and adapted to be en# gaged by the same are the contact posts 66 land 67. vAs shown in Fig. 6, a wire 68 con-1.

which is designed to make Contact with a car wheel 70, the latter being provided with insulated bushing 71 between it and the wheel axle 72. Similarly, a wire S3 connects the contact post 66 with the brush 84 in contact with the car wheel 85, also insulated from the axle 72. Thus, by the movement of the bridging or operating lever 65, the current may be diverted to the wheel 7() and the rail 75, or to the wheel 85 and the rail 86 accordingly as the said operating lever is brought into engagement with the contact posts 67 or 66, respectively.

The rail is connected by a wire 73 with the insulated post 88 located upon the base of the casing 15. Similarly, the rail S6 is connected by a wire 74 with theiusulated post 90 located opposite the post S8 upon the base of said casing. Connecting the post 88 with the companion bracket 49 through the post 80, is a wire 89. Connected to the post of the companion bracket l-Sl is a wire 81 which extends to the coil in the remote solenoid 33. Similarly, a wire 9l connects the post with the post 92 carried by the companion bracket 48; and also similarly, a wire 93 connects the post 92 ot other` companion bracket 48 with the coil in the remote solenoid 34. And in this connection it should be noted that to energize either of the solenoids, it is necessary to have the bar 32 in that position that an insulated bridging end is in contact with the remote pair of companion brackets; for the current for energizing a solenoid must pass through the remote pair of companion brackets. The negative return from the solenoid is effected through the wire 56, post 55 and ground wire 51. Similarly, the

negative return from the solenoid 34, is et fected through the wire 77, post 54, and ground wire 51.

As will be obvious, my device is operated by the manipulation of the bridging or operating lever 65. TWhen the said operating vlever 65 is brought into contact with thc right-hand post 67, the current is diverted through the wire 63, brush 69, wheel 7 (l, rail 75, wire 73, wire 89, bracket 49, bridging end 47, bracket 49 and wire 81 to the solenoid 33, whereby the same is energized, attracting the armature 37, drawing` over the bar 32 and throwing the switch point 26 in the direction opposite to the movement of the bridging lever, that is to say, throwing the switch point to the left. Similarly, when the bridging or operating lever 65 is brought iinto engagement with the contact post 66,

f erator or motorman. The wire 62 connects flthc current is diverted as hereinbefore indicated to the rail 86, then through the con- '2 nections to bridging end 46 between the companion brackets 48 and 48 and thence to the solenoid thereby attracting the armature A38, and moving the bar 32 so that the switch nects the contact post 67 ,with a brush 69lipoint is again thrown in the direction oppo site the direction of the movement of the ol'iierating lever 66, that is to say, the switch point is thrown to the right; and it will be noted in this connection that the switch point is always thrown in the direction exactly opposite to tiat of the movement of the operating or bridging lever 65, that is to say,when the bridging lever is turned to the right into engagement with the contact 67, the rail point will be moved to the left; and that when the bridging lever is moved to the left into engagement with the contact (i6, the rail point will be moved to the right. These movementsarc eiiiected regularly, regardless of the direct-ion of the approach of the car upon the rails. Moreover, it should be also noted that when the switch point has been moved to the left by the movement of the bridging or operating lever 65, into engagement with the contact 67, the said bridging lever may thereafter be moved repeatedly into and out of engagement with contact 67, without again shifting the switch point, provided it is not brought into engagement with the contact post 66. The reason for this being that having once energized the solenoid 33 by passing the current through the companion brackets 49 and 49', the space between said companion brackets by the movement of the bar 82 is left unbridged. 0n the other hand, just as quickly as the said operating lever is brought into contact with the post 66, the bridging end 46, being engaged with the companion brackets 48 and 48', permits the current to energize the solenoid 34, moving the bar 32 accordingly toward it. Y

In a similar manner, when the switch point has been moved to the right, because of the engagement of the operating lever 65 with contact 66, it cannot again be moved by said operating lever, until the same is brought into engagement with the other contact 67.

While the current is here shown as being taken from an over-head trolley wire as 60, it will be obvious that the mechanism herein disclosed may be operated in a similar manner by taking the current from a third rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. ln a device of the class described, the combination with track rails including a switch point, of a casing, a pair of solenoids therein, means to energize thesame, a rack bar reciprocatable between said solenoids and adapted to form an armature for the latter, a shaft above and extending at right angles te said rack bar, a pinion thereon coperating with'said rack bar to rotate said sliaft, means on said shaft to operate the switch point, and a retaining means for the shaft comprising a disk carried by the shaft and provided with oppositely disposed arcuate cavities, a pair of vertical supports pivoted at their lower ends to the casing, rolls carried at the upper ends of said supports, and means to normally retain said rolls in yielding contact with the arcuate cavities of said disk.

2. 1n a device of the class described, the combination with track rails including a switch point7 of a casing, a pair of solenoids therein, means te energize the same, a rack bar reciprocatable between the solenoids and adapted alternately to form armatures for the same, a. shaft above and extending at right angles to said rack bar, said shaft being supported for rotation, a splitwcam fixed against rotation on said shaft, one member thereof being movable axially on the shaft, means to yieldingly retain the movable meinber of the cam in eifective position, mean for operating the switch point from said cam, and means yieldingly locking said shaft in its rotative positions.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of solenoids spaced apart, two pairs of insulated companion conducting brackets, one pair being spaced from the outer end of each solenoid, and the members of each pair beingl spaced apart, means for alternately diverting a cur rent to one member of each pair of companion brackets, a wiring connection between the other member of each pair of companion brackets and the remote solenoid, a connection from each solenoid to complete the negative ground return, and a rack bar reciprocatable between the solenoids and carrying spaced apart plates adapted respectively to form armatures for the same, said rack bar being provided with insulated ends adapted alternately to form a bridging conductor between the said companion brackets of each pair accordingly as the said rack bar is actuated.

4. 1n a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, a pair of solenoids therein, two pairs of insulated companion conducting brackets therein, one pair spaced from the outer end of each solenoid and the members of each pair being spaced apart, means for alternately diverting a current to one member of each pair of companion brackets, a wiring connection between the other companion member of each pair to the remote solenoid, a connection from each solenoid to complete the negative ground return, a rack bar reciprocatable between the solenoids and carrying spaced apart plates adapted respectively to form armatures for the same, said rack bar being provided with insulated ends adapted alternately to form a bridging conductor between the said companion brackets of each pair accordingly as the rack bar is moved into contact with the same, a shaft above andextending at right angles to said rack bar, a pinion thereon coried at the upper ends of said supports and operating With said rack bar to rotate said means to normally retain said rolls in yieldshaft, anda retaining means for the shaft ing contact with the arcuate cavities of said 10 comprising a disk carried by the shaft and disk.

provided with oppositely disposed arcuate In testimony whereof I have signed my cavities7 a pair of vertical supports pivoted name to this specification.

at their lower ends to the casing, rolls car- ADOLF LOEFFLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

